Maryland Faces George Washington in BB&T Classic

Maryland Athletics

12-7-2013

Maryland faces George Washington at the Verizon Center Sunday at 3:30 pm in Washington, D.C. as part of the 19th annual BB&T Classic. The Terps have competed in the Classic every year since its inception in 1995.

• The Terrapins are 16-11 all-time in the BB&T Classic and are currently riding a two-game win streak with victories over Notre Dame (2011) and George Mason (2012). Past Maryland MVPs from the tournament include Keith Booth, Steve Francis and Lonny Baxter, though the award was discontinued in 2005.

• Maryland’s four-game win streak was snapped Wednesday as it fell to No. 5 Ohio State, 76-60, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Terps fell to 10-5 (4-2 on road) in their final contest in the tournament as a member of the ACC.

• Sophomore Charles Mitchell was a monster on the offensive glass against Ohio State, tallying nine offensive rebounds, including six in the first half. The Marietta, Ga., native notched back-to-back double-digit rebound totals for the first time in his career, and currently leads the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.6 pg).

• Redshirt junior Evan Smotrycz continues to play well for the Terps, averaging 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds over the last four games. Smotrycz currently ranks fifth in the ACC in rebounds (7.5 pg), and has scored in double figures in every game he has started this season.

Last Time Out Maryland struggled to find a rhythm Wednesday as it fell to fifth-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes jumped out to an 18-9 lead in the first 5:22 on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond-the-arc, and never looked back en route to a 76-60 victory. Maryland outrebounded Ohio State by a significant margin, 44-30, largely due to the effort of Charles Mitchell. The sophomore earned his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Mitchell made an immediate impact off the bench, slamming home a dunk 45 seconds into action.

Scouting George Washington George Washington is off to its best start since 2005-06 after defeating Rutgers Wednesday night to move to 7-1. The Colonials have registered wins against defending ACC champion Miami and then-No. 20 Creighton, while their lone loss came in a 16-point defeat to No. 25 Marquette. GW is currently receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN polls. The Colonials boast a balanced offense, featuring four players averaging double-figure scoring totals. Maurice Creek leads the team with 15.3 ppg on 46 percent shooting from beyond-the-arc, while Isaiah Armwood is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds. Armwood earned Wooden Legacy All-Tournament team honors last weekend, limiting Creighton All-American Doug McDermott to just seven points. George Washington currently ranks atop the Atlantic 10 in a number of categories, including assist-turnover ratio (1.34), assists (15.3 pg), field goal percentage defense (38.2), scoring margin (14.0) and total blocks (45).

Terps Shoot Lights Out vs. Morgan State Maryland put on an incredible shooting display on Nov. 29 when it handily defeated Morgan State by its largest margin of the season, 89-62. After scoring a season-high 45 points in the first half, the Terps shot 67 percent in the second half to cap a strong offensive outing. The Terps posted 14 points in the first 3:51 of the game and never looked back as they shot 33-of-53 (.623) from the field, including 13-of-20 (.650) from beyond-the-arc. Jake Layman led the way in the outing, tallying a career-high 27 points on 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. In the second half, Layman scored 16 points in just 13 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Evan Smotrycz posted his second consecutive double-double with 19 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

Paradise Jam Champions Maryland won its first in-season tournament since 2006 when it captured the Paradise Jam title in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Terps handily defeated Marist in the opening round, before defeating Northern Iowa and Providence on consecutive nights. The Terps’ defense was impressive on the tropical trip, holding opponents to just 30.7 percent shooting and an average of 53.7 points. Opponents shot a meager 13-for-57 (.228) from 3-point range. Junior Dez Wells (12.7 pts, 4.7 rebs) earned tournament MVP honors, while Evan Smotrycz (12.3 pts, 7.0 rebs) was named to the all-tournament team. Jake Layman led the team with 13.7 points and 33.7 minutes on the trip.